Page last updated on February 14, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Chinese
Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.5%, Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uighur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities 8.5% (2000 census)
Languages:
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
note:
Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)
Religions:
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
note:
officially atheist (2002 est.)
Population:
1,343,239,923 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.4% (male 125,528,983/female 107,668,285)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
16.1% (male 113,504,233/female 102,285,206)
25-54 years:
46.5% (male 319,710,444/female 305,378,723)
55-64 years:
10.9% (male 74,447,204/female 72,451,831)
65 years and over:
9.1% (male 58,677,903/female 63,587,111) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 35.9 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
35.2 years
female:
36.6 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.481% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
12.31 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
7.17 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
2.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
Shanghai 16.575 million; BEIJING (capital) 12.214 million; Chongqing 9.401 million; Shenzhen 9.005 million; Guangzhou 8.884 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.17 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.92 male(s)/female
total population:
1.06 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
37 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.62 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 110
male:
15.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
15.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.84 years
country comparison to the world: 96
male:
72.82 years
female:
77.11 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.55 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 148
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
1.415 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
4.06 beds/1,000 population (2009)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 58% of population
rural: 52% of population
total: 55% of population
unimproved:
